The Chamberlain Network Condemns Invocation of Alien Enemies Act as an Attack on the Constitution and Civil-Military Norms

ATLANTA, GA  – The Chamberlain Network unequivocally condemns the administration’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) to justify deportation without due process against Venezuelan migrants. This reckless abuse of power violates American constitutional principles, civil-military norms, and fundamental human rights. It is an egregious overreach of executive authority that undermines the rule of law and threatens the integrity of our democratic institutions.

“This is not how a democracy functions,” said Chris Purdy, Founder and CEO of The Chamberlain Network. “The Alien Enemies Act has been dormant since World War II for a reason—it is a relic used to justify internment and other civil rights abuses. This administration is fabricating a crisis where none exists. As the military is increasingly and inappropriately drawn into immigration enforcement, this further weaponizes the military against unarmed civilians, and erodes the very freedoms that veterans swore to defend.”

The Alien Enemies Act was last invoked in World War II to justify the internment of Japanese, German, and Italian noncitizens. Its invocation today marks an escalation in ongoing attempts from this Administration to politicize the military and misuse wartime powers. This move builds on day one Executive Orders (EOs) that inappropriately declare a national emergency on the U.S. border, allow for the domestic deployment of the U.S. military, claim that illegal migration qualifies as “invasion,” close the border to asylum-seeking migrants, and designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. 

These actions attempted to provide the foundation for the President to bypass Congress – who holds the sole power to declare war – in invoking the Alien Enemies Act and using it as a tool for mass detention and deportation.  Its use today is not only legally dubious but also a blatant attempt to frame humanitarian migration as an act of war. In all, these actions are a bad-faith effort to weaponize a wartime authority against unarmed migrants.

The invocation comes as approximately 9,600 active-duty and National Guard troops have been deployed or are scheduled to deploy to the U.S. Southern border. By deploying military forces in support of these mass detention and deportation policies, the administration is engaging in a deliberate effort to militarize a non-military issue and redefine migration as an “invasion.”

“Forcing our troops into a role they were never meant to serve is a gross distortion of military priorities,” said Purdy. “The U.S. military is not a political tool, and treating it as such weakens both its readiness and its credibility.”

The Chamberlain Network calls on the White House to immediately revoke its decision to use the Alien Enemies Act. Congress also has a responsibility to act and must take steps to immediately repeal the Alien Enemies Act and prevent future administrations from abusing this dangerous relic of history. Additionally, we urge all Americans—especially veterans—to speak out against the reckless use of the military against migrants. 

Failure to act now will set a dangerous precedent for future executive overreach. If this administration succeeds in weaponizing the military for domestic political purposes today, it will not stop here.

To learn more about the Alien Enemies Act visit Just Security.